La Perle Noire Cafe at Lenox and 131st Street seems to be doing fine these days, but some of the more recent startups in the area have shuttered over the past couple of years. This section of Central Harlem looked like it was picking up in the better shop category, but the closed Soupman and Tasty News (which was around the corner on 131st Street) is a reminder that business is tough everywhere. As exciting as it is to hear news of new businesses opening up, seeing a few of them shuttered reminds us of the importance of keeping things local. Eating, drinking, and shopping above 110th Street (96th Street in East Harlem) really should be on the top of everyone's list these days. You asked for it, so now use it! Also, if the majority of your friends still live downtown and Brooklyn, tell them to come uptown for a change. Otherwise, get a new local social group together and enjoy Harlem's resources. Photos by Ulysses
The problem here is the small business owners do not know how to run a business. They ay have a good idea, but no business plan to have them last 2 or more years.
ReplyDeleteDid Soupman ever even open-up for business? If it did open at one point, it closed a very long time ago. And Tasty News is another business that no one even knew existed. These businesses need(ed) exposure/marketing. And yes, it does seem as though many of these businesses need guidance related to planning and execution of their business.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know if Spinners is still open? It is on 123rd & Lenox. The past couple of times we walked by it has been closed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a few of these restaurants have somewhat random opening hours. Monday night we tried Spinners, Settepani, Five & Diamond only to find them all closed. I can understand it if business is typically slow on a Monday night, but it was a little frustrating.
As a business owner myself, I hear every excuse in the book by new-comers to the neighborhood and native Harlemites alike about how they "pass by all the time" and "have been meaning to stop in."
ReplyDeleteTo the first Anon's comment about not having a business plan. That is absolutely false. Most of the new businesses that I know of were started by Ivy League types with bplans. The financial reserves that should sustain businesses for the first two years of operations are immediately depleted due to the lack of traffic or support of the community.
SUGGESTION - walk along Lenox and 8th Avenue. Look for cafes and shops that you have not supported and give them some business. If they all close and the neighborhood goes dark, crime will increase and you will really will have something to worry about. Don't just live here, shop and eat here, too!
And lastly to Chris - Spinners was burglarized! Always empty. Maybe if you guys would fill the place(s), this would not happen.
All of the soup man's closed in the tri-state area as far as I know. I had samples at the one near Columbia, and frankly it wasn't all that good for expensive soup. Don't know if this particular one ever opened.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time I saw Muddy Waters cafe a month or two ago. It's a newish coffee shop above 125th on lenox or ACP. We couldn't even tell if it was open because of the dim lighting and there was no obvious open sign. We were there for an hour and numerous people looked into the window, trying to tell if the place was open. Some of these business people just need to get it together, and make their places look more welcoming.
It's definitely true that we all need to support these new places, otherwise they'll go away and be a lot slower to return next time.
Anon 11:18 - it seems as though you need to reassess your approach....you just came off as disgruntled and aggressive...hopefully that's not how you talk and treat your customers. And the comments made by potential customers aren't excuses - it's life.
ReplyDeleteIt's your job to to figure out how to get those potential customers in your doors. Visit businesses that are making it and try to understand what you could do differently.
That said, all of us do need to support our neighborhood businesses! Although I do have to say that it seems to me as though more and more people are in fact spending more cash within Harlem.
I would like to see a Harlem Bespoke "fan club" / "meet up" however we want to call it that meets in a featured venue once a month...we would support local businesses and can contribute a little review to the blog that might get them even more business...what do you all think? Would you be interested?
ReplyDeleteHarlem restaurants need to up the ante on customer service. There are soo many restaurants, and other businesses, with poor customer service staff. I live and own in Harlem, but sometimes go elsewhere to get better service. We, as a community and need to hold ourselves to higher standard. Make suggestions and hold the owners accountable. If they don’t change, their businesses will fail. All I’m saying lets raise the bar in our community
ReplyDeleteI always frequent the Island Salad joint on 125th and Madison Avenue. I'm certain everyone on here has read about it on the NY Times or has heard about it. I make the point of supporting this business each and every time I'm in Harlem for business because I own a home nearby. However, more people need to support such a revolutionary business in Harlem. It seems as though the place is always empty. Now they put tables and chairs in their backyard to give it that European feel. Please try it if you haven't.
ReplyDeleteI always order the 'Get Up Stand Up' salad. It's delicious!
My neighbour took out from Spinners and said it was just dreadful.
ReplyDeleteI'd participate in a Harlem Bespoke "fan club" / "meet up".
ReplyDeleteJust set it up and say the word...
UPDATE:
ReplyDeleteThe Wall Street Journal has reported that Emmitt Smith and a group of investors have secured funding from the city ($20 mil)to build a Hyatt Hotel on Lenox and 125th. It looks like this project is serious. A WHOLE FOODS coming to 125th in Central Harlem!!!!!!!!!
Harlem has definitely turned the corner. All the haters, and you know who you are (I've been battling you all week on this blog), can put a lid in it this time around.
The city approved to move forward with the proposed plan. Not a done deal. No signatures, no paperwork, no loans at this point. The idea is a good one but remember the city's track record with 125th Street in the past 5 years.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Settepani's recently. They are open from 11 to 11 and they always seem to have a crowd.
ReplyDeleteIsland Salad always has a big crowd for lunchtime.
If a place is attractive and inviting people will go there. Tonnie's is doing fine. So is Il Cafe Latte. Spinner's in comparison, is a hole in-the-wall takeout joint. And by hole-in-the wall standards they are overpriced on top of it.
I'm sorry to hear about the robbery but there is a reason that place wasn't well frequented.
If anyone is passing by 132nd and 7th ave Media Luna is a great little Mexican joint.The outside is a little intimidating but inside looks straight out of Mexico.Home cooked food just like your abuela would make.The faimly also runs a small Spanish deli next door. They have products I couldn't find anywhere else. love this place.
ReplyDeleteI live in Harlem (113/FDB) and these are the places I go to or have gone to:
ReplyDeleteNectar
Society
Yatenga
Chez Lucienne
Lolita's (the food here is good but the location is depressing - on my last visit drug dealers were loitering right in front of the restaurant.)
I would go out in Harlem more often if there was at least one good, relaxed bar/pub (where is the beer garden?) - not a pricy cocktail lounge or wine bar but the kind of place you can pop in after work or on a saturday afternoon, etc. It seems this is the only neighborhood in Manhattan that does not have one.
It would behoove new entrepreneurs to spend time in other "emerging" neighborhoods and see what works. I recently went to a pub called The Double Windsor near the edge of Prospect Park in Windsor Terrace (in the past this was not a desirable location) - the place was packed on a Sunday afternoon. I know a place like this could be successful here.
i've been to the double windsor! and you're right, if there was something like this on lenox, i'd go in a heartbeat. the den seemed like MAYYYBE it would head in this direction but it was trying to be more than it needed to be...with very pricey drinks to match.
ReplyDeletei'm the first person to run and try every new place that opens. part of the reason i read this blog is to keep up on what's new. but im only going to return if it's good! and believe me, the bar is much lower for me when im closer to home. in other words, i think frizzante and piatta d'oro are great italian restaurants. but if you ask me how the food compares to places outside of harlem...well they dont fare as well by comparison. but i go to both often.
a place i will never go back to is spinners. horrible food. im sorry they were robbed but that place was not good.
the old sette pani i only went to once because i waited 45 minutes for a menu and water. but i recently gave it another try since they reopened and the service is totally transformed.
island salads is great and often busy when im in there.
but you have to have a good product and you have to get the word out. you cant expect people just to support you because you are in harlem and harlem needs services. harlem needs GOOD services. no one needs rancid chicken or to wait 45 minutes for water.
Bier International is supposed to open this month.
ReplyDeleteOnebar might turn out o.k., when it opens. I'll be real interested to see if The Den ever actually reopens on Lenox.
Most of the stuff that opens around here now seems to cater to the elites, because they might not mind being overcharged as much. The closest thing to a neighborhood bar around here is the Saville, which is for old men.
I live near the future? beer garden and absolutely nothing is going on in terms of construction - no activity at all. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there have been lots of miscalculations in what works or doesn't work up here and yes, much of it is too expensive (without being necessarily sophisticated). Many newcomers to neighborhoods are young people who, while they like to go out, do not have a lot of money. I imagine that all those condos on FDB will eventually fill up with mostly youngish people buying their first home (which is why the prices should be lower I think) and they will want reasonably priced but sophisticated places to go nearby.
Of course there is the debate about which should come first - the population density or the amenities...
5& Diamond is terrific and a welcome addition. Chez L is fun, and food basically good if you order carefully. Good place for drinks, too. Yatenga has a good vibe. Caffe Latte is really good, just gets a little overwhelmed at times. And we love that little hole in the wall Italian place on 119th east of Madison--old school.
ReplyDeleteI've been called an Elitist because I complained about Pathmark's lack of customer service and poor operations. Really!!! I think the word is often misused.
ReplyDeleteA Subsconcious opened on Amsterdam near City College and is packed. The Cafe One next door carries H&H Bagels (only $1, less than at H&H), offers free wifi, and usually all tables are taken. Cafes and restaurants can succeed in Harlem, but they need to fill a niche. Often they seem to focus on the high end. There's a reason Covo's outdoor space is full of couples and families. It's a nice relaxed space, and the food is good and affordable. For the money I'd spend at a place like Hudson River Cafe, I'd rather go downtown and get better food and better service.
ReplyDeleteLe Perle Noire on 131st and Lenox is EXCELLENT. The owners are wonderful & live right in the neighborhood. The pastries are out of this world. PLEASE give them some of your business!
ReplyDeleteSoupman has been closed for years. Shame. It was locally run and the soups were much better than the other locations. They said they were closing for kitchen renovations -- and never came back.
Medialuna was decent but pretty slow lunxch seevice
ReplyDelete@11.18 anonymous, you will see that I did try to go to Spinners and in the past have frequented it on many occasions. I quite like the place and for me, the food has actually been pretty good. I haven't had the negative experience that a couple of others on here have had. Sorry to hear it has been burgled though.
ReplyDeleteI still have a real issue with the hours of a lot of these restaurants. It is quite simple really. If your hours of operation are inconsistent, you will end up losing a lot of customers to other parts of Manhattan.
Looking at Yelp, it would appear that other people have a similar issue with Frizzante:
"I can't comment on the food, because this place is NEVER open when I go by, even though it's well within the hours posted on yelp (not on their doors, mind you, which have no hours posted)"
"Doors locked, chairs up, no sign of life on a Friday during lunch. Either they keep odd hours or CLOSED."
It is a real shame, because New Yorkers DO look at sites like Yelp before deciding where to eat and negative reviews like these sadly make a difference. I think the vast majority of Harlemites who can afford to eat in these places want them to succeed and do well, however, there has to be a real effort to provide the sort of service that people are accustomed to across the rest of NYC.